Violence against children costs Nigeria N1.42tn annually —UNICEF

On the average, deaths and disability resulting from acts of violence against children costs Nigeria N1.42tn annually, a report released by UNICEF has revealed.

The amount, according to the report, is equivalent to 1.6 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

The report was released on Thursday in Abuja by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mr Olajide Olawale; the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall; the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; among other top officials in both the public and private sectors of the economy.

A breakdown of the N1.42tn showed that the cost of physical violence against children alone accounted for N1.01tn. The report stated that 52 per cent of boys and 50 per cent of girls in Nigeria were victims of physical violence prior to the age of 18.

Out of the N1.42tn, the report put the cost of sexual violence against children in Nigeria at N307bn, adding that 11 per cent of boys and 25 per cent of girls in Nigeria were victims of sexual violence before the age of 18.

It said the balance of N91bn was the cost of emotional violence suffered by children in Nigeria. It noted that 20 per cent of boys and 17 per cent of girls in Nigeria were victims of emotional violence prior to the age of 18.

Speaking during the unveiling of the report on financial benchmark on child protection services and the economic burden of violence against children, Mohammed said it was important for the country to pay more attention to the issue of child protection in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

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